Suzuki SX4 1.6 DDiS Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Suzuki SX4 1.6 DDiS
Prices: £12,695 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 6
Performance: 0-60mph 12.2s / Max Speed 109mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 44.1mpg / (extra urban) 61.4mpg / (combined) 53.3mpg
Safety: Driver & passenger airbags, Side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE: (length/width/height) 4140/1755/1620mm

TOWN PLANNING

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

Suzuki’s SX4 deserves more attention than it gets in 1.6 DDiS form. Steve Walker reports.

The SX4 from Suzuki is a car that’s easy to overlook amid the cut and thrust of the car market. It follows then that should one ever manage to fix your gaze and hold your attention, you probably won’t be expecting too much. It looks like yet another small car with 4x4 pretensions and for the most part, it is but this little Suzuki has some surprises up its sleeves. Not least in the 1.6-litre DDiS diesel form we examine here.

Developed by Suzuki in combination with Fiat, which got its own Sedici out of the arrangement, the SX4 is about the size of a supermini but adds in some modest 4x4 styling cues. Suzuki has a great record with 4x4s and with small cars so the premise makes sense and with a compact diesel engine installed, a neat compromise between low end grunt and economy should make the SX4 well suited to urban motoring. That’s the theory anyway.

The 1.6-litre DDiS diesel engine comes only with the SX4’s front-wheel-drive transmission so it would probably be wise for owners to put any notions of striking out into the great unknown behind them at this stage. The engine is a common-rail diesel with 89bhp to its name. That’s not a lot of power but the driver is compensated by 214Nm of torque that’s produced at 1,750rpm. It makes the SX4 punchy, if not outright fast, up to the 30-40mph cruising speeds that so often represent the best case scenario in our congested urban areas. The 0-60mph increment takes 12.2s and there’s a 109mph top speed so the SX4 is far from out of its depth on the open road.

The SX4’s driving experience is arguably its best feature. It feels just like a conventional supermini on the road, with little of the pitching, lurching or body roll that can become apparent in tall 4x4-style vehicles. The steering is accurate and well weighted, turning into corners neatly where the abundant front-end grip can be made the most of. The five-speed gearbox has a reassuringly mechanical action with only a short throw required to slot into the next ratio and it helps give the SX4 a nimble, responsive feel. The higher ride height and beefy suspension might not serve you too well off-road without four-wheel drive but kerb stones and speed humps are dispatched with aplomb.

As we’ve already indicated, visually the SX4 is nothing to write home about. It lacks the overt 4x4 styling cues that some of its contemporaries lay on so thick. There are roof rails and plastic cladding for the sills and wheelarches but the SX4 looks more like a high riding supermini than a thoroughbred off-roader. The interior is similarly low key but the uncluttered dash with its chunky controls works very well. The various functions for the audio and ventilation systems are extremely simple to operate and there’s a tough feel to the plastics and the build quality that inspires confidence. The steering column doesn’t adjust for reach which may be a barrier to some people getting comfy but the seats are firm and supportive with plenty of adjustment potential.

Space inside the cabin is reasonably generous. There’s no shortage of headroom and plenty of space for a couple of adults to squeeze in to the rear seats. Taking three in the back would be more of a problem unless they were younger children. The boot is only 270-litres in capacity which isn’t huge and you have to drop items down over the large loading lip but the rear seats can be folded and tumbled forward with a simple pull of a chord to increase capacity.

The 1.6 DDiS engine is offered in GLX trim which is quite plush con